Find out your other risk factors for chronic disease

The more of these risk factors you have, the more you are likely to benefit from weight loss if you are overweight or obese.

1. Do you have a personal or family history of heart disease?

2. Are you a male older than 45 years or a postmenopausal female?

3. Do you smoke cigarettes?

4. Do you have a sedentary lifestyle?

5. Has your doctor told you that you have?

6. High blood pressure?

7. Abnormal blood lipids (high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides)?

8. Diabetes?

Manage your weight

Our genes affect our tendency to gain weight. A tendency to gain weight is increased when food is plentiful and when we use equipment and vehicles to save time and energy. However, it is possible to manage your weight through balancing the calories you eat with your physical activity choices.

To make it easier to manage your weight, make long-term changes in your eating behavior and physical activity. To do this, build a healthy base and make sensible choices. Choose a healthful assortment of foods that includes vegetables, fruits, grains (especially whole grains), skim milk and fish, lean meat, poultry, or beans. Choose foods “h are low in fat and added sugars most of the time (see Hon Choose Sensibly). Whatever the food, eat a sensible portion size (see INDEX 3).

Try to be more active throughout the day. The physical activity guideline (see section Be Physically Active Each Dav) recommends that all adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most or preferably all days of the week. To maintain a healthy weight after weight loss, adults will likely need to do more than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily. Over time, even a small decrease in calories eaten and a small increase in physical activity can keep you from gaining weight or help you lose weight.